Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-09-14
FUN WITH OCHILTREE.
How Merry Crowd Had vino and
Dinner st eis EXpense-4tsl tbCugtE
Ills Den! t'rGel d,
of tho Madison Square Thsater and
Gav. banquet at Once,
New York World

lG
If an amusing afternoons sport at the
expense, in which Jake =
Hess, General Henry A. Barnum, Senator =
Gibbs, 3 street urchin and a common =
yellow dog figured to the delight Of the
Hoffman house ioungers. This time +
Steele Mackaye, Actor Richard Mansfield i
and several newspaper men and men I
about town had no end OF fun with +
0chiltree, and when 1t was sll over there '
was g Jolly little dinner, with champagne, I
in the Hoffman cafe, for which Thomas !
psid.
Il was last Friday night. Steele Mac
kaye walked into the LOBBY of the Madi- ,
son Square Theater. It was his first
visit to the theater since he left it eight
years ago, and when ne came in the hab-
tues asked among themselves what 1t I'll !
meant. Tom Ochiltree was in the group,
and soOr he and others were grasping
Msckaye'5 hand. Some one passed the
word srOund to congratulate the famous
author on his resumption OF the manage
ment OF the theater. This was done, Mr.
Msckaye Willingly allowing himself TO be
made party 30 the deception, knowing
well at whom it WAS directed
"What? You are manager of the Mad
tree, grasping MsckaYe's hand in beth Of
his own, and shaking it with undisguised
and muscular ardor. "By Jupiter, Mack
aye, this is the grandest and most mag
nifcant piece OF good news I've heard |
this summer. It's true, is itf' Thomas |
eyes fairly beamed with pleasure, and his |
big, whole-souled voice filed every part |
OF the lobby. Astonished bystenders
heard the news, the employees took up
tie cue, and soon Mackay was holding e
! levee in the lobby, while congratulations
| poured in thick and fast. The not-doubt-
| ing Thomas WAS beside himself with 10y
ct the prospect of his friends reinstste-
ment in the position he hsd once filed
| so fsmOusly.
The next minute the party were sitting
around table in the Hoffman house
cafe across the street. Actor Mansfield
was invited to meet his new chief, and
several others dropped in, until the num-
Der was eight or nine. OChiltree ordered
wine and, raising majestically, in 8 few
flung words proposed the health of
Steele Mackaye, the new manager OF the
Madison Square. The toast was d INK,
and then another and another. More
wine was forthcoming. 'Whv, this is On
event of q LIFETIME" said Ocdttree, slap
ping Mackaye on the back. "SteeI2, you
must make g speech, really you
must" The Gramatist srose meek
lily and, in feeling tones,
thanked 0chiltree and the gentlemen
present for their very kind expressions of
satisfaction at his new-found future 1t
Ewes slIvery gratifying TO him. He was
sure ,0chiltree was his best friend. He
: had aFver found him wanting n any of
/ 1t Ill
others friend The occasion was, as
OcnHtree had said, so event of lifetime,
: end It gave him q measure Of 10y ard
> seli7setisfaction which he could not ex-
- preSs.in words.
by Jove, Steele, I'm proud, very
proud, OF you! Really, this news is too
good tobe true. Reallg-ah, waiter, one
{ more case Of that red label on the ice
3 please" And so the hours passed or
l. toward midnight. There wss choice
h supper besides, OF which the merrimen
d and the congratulations we're unbounded
Msckaye called for telegraph blanks
= He dashed off half dozen or more des-
, patches one after the other to friend:
ground the country and read them alouC
for his friends ears. Messenger boys
j. bore them away, and their comings il
1. and ont attracted the attention OF grou]
d of news-hunting reporters in the CORR
a. dor, who came around TO See what wa
r, going on. They were let into the secra
u st once,
I'd "Is it true, Mr.. Mac5aye," asked on
n. Of them, who had sent in his card, "ths
or you are again the manager of the Msdi
= son Square,"
= eyes; why, OF course" said MI
h, Mackaye. "But, really, you must ex
nd cuse me from talking until tomorrow
es l am now the guest OF my good frien
or Mr. Ochiltree. Come and see me at tn
C. threatre Tomorrow" was Mr. Mackaye'
- last remarks as he smiled knowingly.
The party broke up in the small hour
and then came the laugh on Ochiltre'
U. 1t was rot true, they told him that M
! es Macksye was again manager, but the
or hsd all had good time anyhow, hadn
t.they? Ochiltree was Crestfallen, but
:. swallowed his chagrin with characters
tic good nature and vowed not TO /
H. taken in sgsin, Then every one wei
he home in the pest Of humor, with the sa
isfaction of having had IS good time
theV would have mad had The news bee
. true.
u Thomas Ochlltree was one of gror
II Of three in the Hoffman lobby yesterd'
afternoon when World repor -er askt
~ - him if it wss true that Mr.. Mackaye VI
again manager of the Madison Squsr
and if he had given champagne dina
ng, in the latter's honor. "Really
OF said Thomas, gazing vacant
D ~, into the far distance Of the ba
room, Greatly, I was not aware OF t
hat fact. No. l can't say that l had ev
bar heard OF it. You see, I've Just got be-
to town. Oh, yes, know Mr.. Mackay
lelr OF course l know MIN. No, l don't !
tSa member being at sny such dinner. Y
sch see, 60 to so many dinners thai l rea
don't remember what happens there.
Ing course, if I could l would be only t
n happy TO facilitate you in getting any
U. formation, but l can't, sorry am to
it."
81 Ard then he thrust his hands in
trousers pockets and reflected. The J
nd porter left, and es he went away he hes
be Ochiltree remarking how = wonderful
,fjs was these reporters hear Of such fur
ha. things. There was World reporter "
had Just Quizzed him to ind out sor
, thing about Steele Mackaye and the MI
y ison Square, as if he knew anythi
about it.
Showing up Erkansas.